"I just don’t think I can," I pleaded, feeling defeated. Then, Gayle spoke these words that nailed me, "If you really believe that Dan is the answer to my prayer for you, that God sent him because I asked Him to send you a godly man to love you, then you'd better be really careful and think twice before you turn your back on the situation.” Don’t you just hate it when someone speaks truth that you don’t want to hear? The thing is, I knew in that moment that Gayle had spoken truth. Later that day, I had a little talk with Jesus and told Him that I was sorry for acting so stupid, frowning in the face of what could be a potential blessing from Him, an answer to a friend’s prayer for me. Realizing that if God did indeed send Dan into my life, I had to trust Him, because He makes no mistakes. “Every good and perfect giſt is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shiſting shadows.” (James 1:17) One week later, I leſt my house and headed towards Dan’s farm. There would be no
canoe ride but a simple visit instead. The funny thing was, the dread that I had expected to accompany me simply was not there. As I turned onto the dirt road that led to his cabin, I felt my body relax as a breath exhaled from my lips. Then, the strangest thing happened - totally unexplainable, yet as real as the sun that was setting behind me - I felt as though I was coming home. I looked up from the steering wheel I gripped tightly and saw Dan, as my car rolled to a
stop. Tall and slender in build with an easy stride, this beautiful man with tasseled salt and pepper hair riddled with careless waves made his way towards me, wearing a tender smile that set my heart at ease. Absent was the awkwardness I had dreaded and swore I would never subject myself to. Peace, blessed peace, flooded my soul. We spent the next few hours sitting on his porch in one of the beautifully craſted willow
chairs that he has made for the past thirty years. Not one uncomfortable moment passed between us. With easy conversation, we shared our stories and laughter until it was time for me to go. Heading back down his driveway, I thought about the woman I was the last time I saw Dan and his cabin in my rearview mirror. My heart ached for the woman I was then, the pain and disappointment that I secretly owned threatened to rob me of the beautiful thing that just happened. Forcing the memories down with a mixture of sheer will and prayer, I said goodbye to that woman, vowing to leave her and the pain behind and to trust God for whatever might lie ahead. I realized without a doubt and with all of my heart that God was in this. Yet, I would
spend the next 3 weeks digressing and trying to convince Dan and myself that my heart was just too damaged to have a relationship. That sweet man was not fazed by my crazi- ness and one day while looking into my eyes, he finally put my fears to rest, saying, “Melia, let me make this simple. There is nothing you can tell me that will change the way I feel about you. I love you, and that is all that matters.” Now, here comes the part in the movie where we all cry - Dan said that on that first night when I came to see him, in the moment that I looked up at him and he looked down into my eyes, he heard God speak to his spirit, saying, “This is the one,” and “from that moment on, from that very first night, I knew,” My precious Dan explained. The truth is, though I tried to fight it, I knew as well. I knew that I had never felt such
perfect peace and connection. Eight months later, I am still amazed at what God has done in our lives. I know without a doubt that HE put us together. HE did a powerful work in my heart to even get me to a point where I could open even a tiny crack to the possibility of love. God has shown me that when we let go and give Him control of our lives, then - and only then - are we able to truly receive HIS very best for us. HIS best is far beyond anything that we could ever ask for or imagine. “The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it." (Proverbs 10:22) Dan shared this scripture with me early in our relationship and it is one that I have hidden in my heart. Through his love for me and Christ’s love for both of us, I am learning to accept each day’s blessing and believe that this good thing has truly happened to me. I am in awe that God loves me so much to give me this giſt. My relationship with Christ has been strengthened and magnified through my relationship with Dan, and I suspect that is the way God designed it to be. I am grateful that I do not control my destiny but that I serve and am eternally saved by The One who does. I must praise Him for the storms that I have survived because it is in the storm that He
has proven to me that He can be trusted, and His grace is sufficient. He has to be my ev- erything before anyone else can be my anything. Long before Dan became my love story, God was pursuing me, calling me, loving me. He loves me (and you) so much that He laid down His life for us. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Therefore, we have already been given the greatest love of all. Everything else is just icing on the cake. So, do we hear wedding bells? I am sure you’re asking, as everyone does. While I cannot
fathom being without my Dan, we are in no rush to get married. We are just taking our time, soaking up every wonderful, gloriously happy day... and loving every minute of it!
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